Control
by ExcalibursZone
Summary: [One-Shot] The war is over, Harry Potter and his friends prevailed against the darkness. Hermione Granger has found love in one John Dinkins. But unbeknownst to her and her best friend, the past is something that will turn this romance on its ear.


Control. That's what he said it was all about. That's why he never drank or took drugs. Control is why he always had a cell phone and insisted that she carry one as well. It wouldn't do if there was a problem and they couldn't get in contact with one another. Control over one's destiny, over one's life, over another person's life. But the fact was he was the kindest, gentlest person Hermione had ever met aside from Harry.

She sighed contentedly as her boyfriend of six months diligently cut his lawn, then trimmed the bushes and pruned the trees in his back garden. She had been steadily cleaning the kitchen and cheated a bit with a cleaning charm. Being a witch had its perks and she still kept that a secret from John, her Muggle boyfriend.

Hermione could still remember the day that this beautiful man bumped into her at the library. He was an avid reader and as it turned out spent quite a bit of time reading at her favorite London book repository. He was carrying a stack of self-help, philosophical and history books while she was returning a wide variety of books from different genres. The two collided at the checkout and laughed nervously as they helped each other pick up their messes.

Life, from that point on, changed for the plain, bushy-haired young woman. A woman who'd just recently finished her magical education and transferred to a Muggle university in an attempt to learn more about the world around her. John proved to be a wonderful new friend in the Muggle world and within the span of three months he'd successfully wooed the bookish girl he'd met that fateful day.

Hermione was taken aback when her newest friend began flirting with her. When she'd first met him, she was shocked that someone as good looking as John Dinkins was interested in Hermione 'Plain Jane' Granger. The six foot tall, blonde with the bluest sky-blue eyes she'd ever seen had taken her breath away. The fact that he was nervous around her was enough to endear him to her. It was her naughty side that took in the shape of his definitely male physique and nearly swooned on the spot.

John, it turned out, was heavily into exercise. He was also a stickler for schedules and timeliness. To top it all off, he was a neat-freak. His house was always spotless, his CD collection always alphabetized (and all the CDs were upright in their jewel cases), and his wardrobe was sorted according to the day of the week, color, and categorized by how professional he wanted to be at any given time. Hermione was in heaven. To push everything over the edge, he was clean. He'd never tried cigarettes, drugs, or even alcohol. The young man was striving for control over his life, from his pressed boxers to his career path. Having a gentle and calm demeanor made the deal sweeter in her eyes and he seemed to make her laugh at a moment's notice.

John was the only man Hermione had met that she could compare to Harry Potter and come away with top marks aside from the wizarding heritage. The mere fact that he, Harry, and Ron became very good friends gave her the ok to accept his offer to date and she'd had the happiest six months of her life.

Just the other night at tea, he'd confessed he was falling in love with her. Hermione thought her acceptance to Hogwarts and the subsequent survival of her best friend during the last weeks of the war were the happiest times she'd ever seen. She was sorely mistaken when she heard those words spill from the nervous man's mouth. Not once in her life had she heard someone confess their love for her. She'd heard her parents tell her how much they loved her, but another man? She'd never thought the day would come for her after watching all her school friends get married. Even Millicent Bullstrode had landed a man, though in Hermione's mind, Gregory Goyle wasn't a good catch, even for the Amazonian half-Troll of a woman she'd once dueled.

No, Hermione had relegated herself to a life of friendship with Harry and Ron. The two of them were enough to scare away most men who showed an interest in her, but when John arrived and the three began going to football matches, Hermione was stunned. She was happy, but stunned.

And here she was, helping John clean his house for her imminent arrival. She knew her wizarding heritage would have to be explained to him sooner or later and the thought of that eventual conversation terrified her.

"Love? Are you listening to me?" John asked with a bright smile as Hermione snapped from her reminiscing.

"Oh, John, I didn't even hear you come in!" Hermione said with a laugh as she covered her heart. "You scared the daylights out of me!"

"I didn't mean to scare you, Hermione," John returned with a chuckle and he drew her into his arms. "You've done a marvelous job here! How did you clear up the iron stains in the sink?! I've been working on that for the past two years!"

"It's an old family secret," Hermione said with a snort of laughter. Her arms snaked around his neck as he kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Well, after seeing this, I find myself anticipating you moving in even more!" he laughed heartily. "But that's still not for another three weeks... Are you sure you don't want to join us tonight?"

"John, tonight's a guys' night!" she retorted with a beaming smile. "I'm flattered that you want me to come along, but I'd rather revise for my final exam tomorrow!"

"That's right, physics..." John replied with a grin. "Just how is it that such a beautiful and intelligent woman is in my arms right now? Do I even deserve you?"

"Don't go into that low self-esteem act again," Hermione said with a crooked smile. "You know very well that you're a great catch! And you should head to the pub soon or you'll be late!" she added with a laugh and tried to turn him to the door.

John laughed as he kissed her again, this time on the lips, and obediently turned to the door. "Ok, ok," he said as he grabbed his coat from a peg on the wall. "I'll be home at midnight sharp," he said methodically. "I'll call you five minutes later and I expect you to get some sleep after that or you'll be too tired to take that exam."

"I'll talk to you then," Hermione said with a laugh. "Now shoo so I can get to revising!" John kissed her again and with a wave, left the house to a woman who couldn't stop smiling.

Hermione had returned to her parents' house and retired to the room full of boxes that had been hers for the past eighteen years. With a goofy grin still on her face, she opened her textbooks and notes to study for her last exam of the summer term. It had been a grueling six weeks of hard work and dedication but she'd pulled through it as she always had, with top marks. Physics was her least favorite subject but she plugged away at it mercilessly anyway. Knowing how things worked and didn't work without the use of magic was a passion of hers and she thought this course was a perfect way to find out.

She didn't know how long she'd been reading through her notes and scribbling new ones in a fresh notebook but when she looked up and saw that it was one a.m., she jumped.

"John didn't call?" she asked herself aloud before pulling out her cell phone. The battery was charged to full capacity and the phone was switched on. Hermione hurriedly checked her voice mail and found that the only message was a reminder from Harry concerning their upcoming trip.

Suddenly worried, Hermione dialed John's number and waited for him to answer. The phone switched over to his voicemail.

"_I'm sorry, but I'm most likely snogging my beautiful girlfriend and don't want to be disturbed..._" his voice played from the recorded message he'd created the other day. Hermione smiled slightly at the memory as the message continued. "_Well, either that or I don't have the phone on. Leave your name, number, and a message after the tone. No name and number, no returned call. Have a smashing day!_"

The mentioned tone sounded and Hermione cleared her throat. "It's Hermione, Love. I'm calling from my cell, which you have on speed dial," she said with a chuckle. "You didn't call at five after twelve like you planned and I'm worried. I'm going to your house to make sure you got home ok. Love you!"

She hung up the phone then quickly donned her shoes and jacket. With a soft pop she apparated to an alley a few blocks from his house. A shiver raced up her spine when she realized just how creepy the neighborhood looked and felt at night. Hermione reached her boyfriend's house to a sight that terrified her.

John was lying on the steps of his front porch in a puddle of vomit. Without a second thought, Hermione rushed to his side only to stumble back a step at the rancid smell of beer that was so strong, it seemed he'd been swimming in it. She recovered quickly and checked him over to find that he was completely pissed.

"John?" she asked worriedly as she helped him into a sitting position.

"Oh, you're here again..." John slurred angrily. "Do you enjoy breaking my heart? _DO YOU?!_" he bellowed suddenly, taking Hermione by surprise.

"What are you talking about, Love?" Hermione asked as she tried to help him into the house again.

John pushed her away forcefully and stumbled to his door, fumbling with his keys. He acted like she didn't exist during this process and Hermione rushed to him once again when he began to tip to the side.

"GEROFF!" he shouted directly in her face. "I've got it under control!"

"John, I'm only trying to help you..." Hermione said softly as she placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

He'd gotten the door open and in another surprise move, grabbed her by the arm then shoved her roughly into his house.

"JOHN!" Hermione yelled when he slammed the door behind him. "What happened? Why are you pissed and acting like this?!"

"You haven't changed, have you?" he growled as he threw his jacket to the floor carelessly. "Make me fall in love with you then you try to change me into something I'm not!"

"I've done no such thing..." Hermione pleaded with him. "Please, calm down, Love..."

"_YOU WON'T TELL _ME_ WHAT TO DO!_" John shouted in uncontrolled rage. With reflexes that belied his current drunken state, the man Hermione was in love with rushed at her with a balled fist that connected with explosive force to her left eye.

Hermione fell into the coffee table in a heap. She looked up at the man who was radiating bestial rage and felt her eye close as it swelled. "JOHN!" she screamed in a terrified voice. "WHY DID YOU JUST HIT ME?!"

"SHUT UP!" he retorted through gritted teeth, spittle flying in every direction as he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into a standing position. "YOU DON'T SPEAK WITHOUT _MY_ PERMISSION!" As if to accentuate his point, his knee connected with her stomach. Hermione would have doubled over if he hadn't had such a stranglehold on her hair. Instead, without the ability to breathe properly, she fumbled wildly for her wand.

Hermione's one good eye widened when she spotted it near the fireplace, lying several feet from their position. "WHY?" she pleaded but received a backhanded slap that knocked her to the floor. Hermione tried to stand but the weight of his body was immediately upon her, pinning her to the cold, unfeeling tile at the bottom of the stairwell.

"_I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR MANIPULATIVE FUCKING MOUTH SHUT, HELEN!_" he shouted mere centimeters from her ear.

"I'm not Helen," Hermione squeaked in fear when she couldn't move or fight off her attacker. "I'm Hermione..."

She was expecting another punch, kick, or other physical punishment. Her eyes were closed tightly, not wanting to see the retaliation John would visit upon her. Instead, she felt a wet drop land on her cheek followed quickly by several more.

"H-Hermione?" John asked tentatively in the same voice a frightened little boy might use. "What-what have I done?"

Hermione chanced a look at the man she thought loved her and caught the terror that had taken residence in his blue eyes. John shuffled away from her as quickly as he could and curled into a ball next to his sofa.

"John?" Hermione asked tentatively, wincing at the split lip he'd just given her. "What happened? Who's Helen?" She made no move towards him and her eye darted to her fallen wand then back to her boyfriend.

The man who was quickly becoming her ex-boyfriend broke down into tears at Hermione's muffled voice. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "H-Helen is my ex-girlfriend. She-she tried to use me for money a year or so ago... I ran into her tonight with Ron and Harry..." he explained in a rush, not meeting her eyes during his confession. "She was with another bloke and started taunting me. I had enough of her quips so I had a few drinks... The next thing I know I was leaning over you just now..." John looked to Hermione with pleading eyes. He radiated regret and shame as more tears fell down his cheeks. "I-if you want to leave me, I don't blame you... After this, how could you ever forgive me?"

Hermione looked at the fallen man who broke down even farther and her rising anger dissipated. "Promise me that you'll never do this again," she said with a steely tone in her voice.

"I won't, I promise," John choked out as he looked into her eyes. "I love you, Hermione, I didn't mean... I didn't realize..."

"Shh," Hermione said quietly as she slowly moved to his side. "It's ok, you promised me, and I believe you..." she whispered. Hermione put a tentative hand on his shoulder and when he didn't flinch, slid her arm around him. "When you're sober, we're going to talk about this," she said tenderly as he wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her breasts. "For now, I think it best if I go home so I can try and rest for my exam..."

"I'm sorry, Love," John said quietly. "I hope I haven't made things difficult for your exam..."

"Shh," Hermione cooed quietly as she stroked his hair. "Let's get you cleaned up and in bed before I leave... I found you lying in a pool of vomit."

Wordlessly, she helped her boyfriend to his feet and into the shower. She'd reclaimed her wand and made a mental note to purchase a holster for it on her trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione went back upstairs and helped John into bed, where he fell asleep almost immediately.

She looked nervously at her sleeping boyfriend before finally leaving the house and apparating home. Hermione went straight to the bathroom where she gingerly checked herself over and sighed at the number of bruises that were already beginning to appear on her soft, alabaster skin. Her left eye was fully closed and swollen, blackening even as she prodded her split lip with a cotton ball loaded with antiseptic.

Hermione took her wand in hand and tried to heal herself, but her swollen lip and cheek made it impossible for her to correctly pronounce the healing charms. Tears began to well in her eyes as she gave up her futile attempts to remove the bruises and she slipped into her night clothes.

Her head had just met the down-filled pillow and her one good eye closed when her alarm sounded. Hermione looked up with surprise to find that she had only an hour before her Physics final. Tears came freely after that and it was a truly exhausted Hermione that pulled herself out of bed. Fifteen minutes later, with liberal amounts of makeup, baggy clothes, and sunglasses she left for her final exam.

The questions she needed to answer were much tougher than she thought, even without the lack of sleep. For the first time, she didn't feel that she'd done a good job on an exam.

It was a few hours later when Hermione walked out onto Diagon Alley with a new holster for her wand. It was a sleek job, and concealed the long shaft of wood rather nicely along her left side. Throughout the day, her fingers had found their way to her swollen eye and split lip. Worried thoughts raced through her mind at the implications of what had happened the previous night. John was still at work and it would be a short time after that when she'd be meeting Harry for their two week trip abroad.

John wasn't happy when he'd learned that his girlfriend was going to travel around Europe with another bloke. It had taken a considerable amount of effort for both Harry and Hermione to calm him down and explain that the two of them were very close friends, nothing more. The only way she could placate her boyfriend was to promise that she'd call him once every four hours to let him know she was fine. Not to mention the two best friends had already made all the reservations and plans long before Hermione had met John. The trip was their reward for surviving the war and finally finishing their instruction at Hogwarts.

After that, John, Harry, and Ron had also become good friends. Every Wednesday night turned into the guys' night out. Hermione was happy that John had been accepted by her two best friends and he didn't run from the two over-protective men.

"Harry..." Hermione said with a sudden flash of insight. She pulled her phone from her bag and swiftly dialed his home number.

"_Hello?_" Harry's voice drifted over the receiver.

Hermione couldn't help the sudden sense of security that she felt when she heard his voice and fought to control the tears that threatened to leap from her eyes. She cleared her throat and smiled, trying to project a cheerful demeanor. "Hi, Harry," she said as cheerfully as she could muster.

"_Hermione, what's wrong?_" Harry asked immediately. She could feel the concern radiating over the line and cursed to herself when she remembered just how easily he could read her emotions, even over the phone.

"Oh, nothing, I finished my physics final... I don't think I did well," she admitted half-truthfully.

"_I'm sure you did well,_" Harry said tenderly. "_You're the most brilliant witch I know... So, what else is wrong?_"

"How do you do that?" Hermione asked with a snort.

"_Easy, I love you and I know when you're in pain... Now what else happened?_" he retorted with a smile that she knew was on his lips.

"John—"

"_Is it about that Helen girl from last night?_" Harry asked with a hint of disgust to his voice.

"What happened?" she asked curiously. Hermione didn't doubt her boyfriend's story, but her curiosity took over, she wanted to hear the story from Harry's point of view.

"_This cow of a woman started on him last night at the pub,_" Harry spat angrily. "_If Ron and I weren't such nice guys, we would have shown her what it feels like to live in a roach motel..._"

"She was that bad?" Hermione asked in surprise. "What did John do? I found him pissed on his front steps..."

"_John took it in stride and after a few minutes of her accusations, he started drinking everything in sight..._" Harry said with a hint of admiration in his voice. "_I wouldn't have gone to the sauce as fast as he did though. But after something around ten pints and a few shots of whiskey, he stumbled out of the pub without a second glance at us..._"

"That's what he told me last night," Hermione said in a whisper. "He said he blacked out after he started drinking and the next thing he knew he was at home with me..."

"_With the amount he tossed back and being a non-drinker? I'd say he's lucky to still be alive,_" Harry said after a moment. "_Alcohol poisoning is a tricky thing... do you know if he vomited?_"

"He was lying in a pool of vomit," Hermione said concernedly. "I hope he got enough of it out of his system!"

"_I'm sure he did if he was coherent after you found him..._" Harry said concernedly. "_Maybe you should check on him to make sure he's ok..._"

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said worriedly. "I'm going to head to his place now and make sure he's gotten off to work alright... I hope nothing's happened..."

"_Don't worry too much,_" Harry said concernedly. "_I'm sure he's fine, but get on over there just in case..._"

"On my way," Hermione said quickly then smiled softly. "Thanks for the talk, Harry."

"_I'm always here for you, Hermione,_" Harry replied seriously. "_Now get over there, ok? I'll see you tomorrow morning but call me if there're any problems._"

"I will, Harry, Love you," Hermione said with a slight smile.

"_Love you too, Hermione_," Harry said, again, Hermione could tell he was smiling.

She hung up and after quickly grabbing her wand, apparated to the alley not far from John's house. Hermione nearly ran the few blocks to where he lived and sighed in relief when she saw the vomit had been cleaned up. A sharp pang of fear rang in her heart just as she stepped to the front door and rang the bell. The previous night suddenly flashed in her mind and Hermione readied herself for any kind of attack.

It was John's lunch hour and if he was keeping to his schedule, she knew he'd be home. Hermione hadn't been mistaken when his door opened and John smiled brightly at the woman on his front stoop.

"What a pleasant surprise, Love," John said cheerfully and reached to hug her. Hermione, however, involuntarily flinched and his smile faded. "What's wrong?" he asked concernedly as he stepped aside to let her into the house.

"I-I'm sorry," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "I'm still dealing with what happened last night."

"What happened last night?" John asked bewildered. "What would cause you to flinch when I hug you?" he asked with an unmasked hurt in his voice.

"You don't remember?" Hermione asked incredulously.

John stared blankly at her and shook his head. "All I remember is running into my ex-girlfriend while Harry, Ron, and I were at the pub," he explained methodically, going over each event in his head. "The next think I know, I've got a hangover from hell. I was surprised to find the coffee table was broken and I don't remember vomiting on the front steps..."

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. "You don't remember hitting me? Kicking me in the stomach or giving me this?" she asked as she pulled off the sunglasses. Hermione watched as John's face fell and tears came freely to his eyes. He made to reach to her face but pulled back immediately.

"I-I did that to you?" he asked in a terrified squeak of a voice. "Why would I do that? I love you..."

"You called me Helen and kept accusing me of things..." Hermione explained warily. "You beat me up last night and when you realized it was me, you backed off... You promised that you'd never do this again and we cleaned you up..."

"Oh, God, Hermione..." John said with wide eyes. "I didn't mean to... I-I would never willingly hurt you!"

Hermione watched the fear settle in his eyes at his confession and she shook her head. "Relax, John," she said softly and guided him to the sofa. "I'm not going to leave you... Only because you promised that you wouldn't do this again. And because I love you..." she said with a soft smile.

"You're not going to leave me?" he asked incredulously, his face brightening somewhat.

"No, I'm not, but we have to come to an understanding," Hermione said evenly. "If you so much as raise a hand to me again, you won't see me in your lifetime and I'd hate to see what happened to you if Harry and Ron got their hands on you..."

"I won't raise my hand to you!" John blurted out quickly. "It abhors me that I even did so in the first place! I love you too much to drive you away!"

Hermione nodded and with a sigh, let him embrace her. "I love you too, John," she whispered into his chest even as tears streaked down her cheeks once again. "You really damaged our relationship last night..."

"I'm so sorry," he said through a sob. "I wish I could remember what happened, I really do... If I could have stopped myself, I would have... You've got to believe me..."

"Shh," Hermione said softly and looked up to his stricken face. "It's in the past now, Love. True, we're going to have to rebuild the trust we once had, but everything will be fine..."

"I can't believe how lucky I am," John said in a whisper before he gingerly kissed her uninjured cheek.

"You are lucky," Hermione said with a soft smile and kissed him properly, ignoring the pain from her still split lip.

"How did your final go?" John asked after a few minutes of holding her in his arms.

"Horrible," Hermione sighed into his chest. "I'd finally gotten home and tried to sleep but my alarm went off right as I got into bed. I was so exhausted when I took the exam that I'm sure I failed it..."

"I'm sure you did well," John said in a whisper. "You're the most brilliant woman I know..."

"That's what Harry said," Hermione said with a smile. "You two sure know how to cheer me up, you know that?"

"Speaking of Harry," John said with a chuckle. "When are you going to pack for the trip? Isn't he picking you up tomorrow morning?"

"Oh!" Hermione said with surprise. "I have so much to do still!"

John laughed heartily, causing Hermione's anxiety to slip away as she watched him. A smile of her own spread across her lips and thanked whatever beings that watched over them that it was the alcohol that caused John's spell the previous night.

"You should head home and get ready then," John said warmly as he tenderly stroked her cheek and lip. "I'm sorry—"

"We've put that behind us," Hermione said with a soft smile. "It won't happen again..."

"But what about Harry?" John asked seriously. "He's bound to notice the bruises..."

"I'll tell him I got mugged," Hermione said with a sigh. "It might not work since he knows when I'm lying..."

"Don't lie," John said evenly.

"John, Love, I don't want friction between you three..." Hermione said softly, cupping his cheek. "I don't want to choose between you and them."

"I don't want you to lie to cover up for my stupidity—"

"You are _not_ stupid," Hermione said quickly. "I'll tell him I was mugged, he'll have to accept it because that's the only story I'm going to tell him."

"I still don't think you should lie," John said in a whisper then kissed her tenderly. "I love you so much..."

"I love you too," Hermione said with a shy smile. "I'll see you in the morning before we leave, ok?"

"I'll be waiting..." John said with a soft smile as he led Hermione to the door.

After the door closed, Hermione rang Harry's house and another familiar voice answered the phone.

"_Hello?_" the deep voice of Harry's godfather said after a moment.

"Sirius!" Hermione said happily. "When did you get back?"

"_Hermione, hello!_" Sirius said with a laugh. "_I got in a few minutes ago via Floo, did you want to talk to Harry?_"

"You know me oh-so-well, don't you?" Hermione laughed in return.

"_Hey, is everything ok?_" Harry asked after Sirius passed the receiver to him.

"He's home for lunch and though he has a hangover, he doesn't remember a thing about last night..." Hermione admitted with a sad smile.

"_Well, it's good that he's ok, Ron and I were worried about him..._" Harry said with a bit of concern to his voice. "_After everything that Helen said about him, I'm surprised he didn't go to another pub..._"

"Well, he's home and doing fine now," Hermione said with a soft smile. "Everything is going to be fine... Listen, I should head home and finish packing. I promised John I'd see him before we left tomorrow..."

"_Alright, take care and I'll see you tomorrow! I love you!_" Harry laughed as Sirius poked fun at him in the background.

"Sirius is just trying to rile you up, Harry," Hermione said with a laugh as well. "I love you too, now I need to go!"

She hung up and smiled to herself as a goofy grin spread across her face. She walked back to her disapparation point, working out a story involving a mugging so she could cover up for last night's events. Hermione was incredibly happy that they'd gotten past that little outburst of John's last night and though she was still hurt that he'd done it in the first place, she was already rebuilding her trust in the man who had captured her heart.

A few hours later, Hermione was crawling around on the floor of her room, looking under her bed for something she couldn't find. She sighed in exasperation as she slumped back against the wall.

"MUM, HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROWN BAG?!" she called down the stairs a few moments later.

"DIDN'T YOU USE IT FOR TOILETRIES WHEN YOU WENT TO JOHN'S?" her mother called back from the kitchen.

"THANKS!" Hermione called back as she lightly knocked her head with her knuckles. "Right, I forgot that I left it there..." she said with a widening grin at the memory of that weekend. If her parents ever found out about those two days of bliss, her father would be visiting her boyfriend's house with a shotgun.

Hermione grabbed her coat and holstered her wand before disapparating and briskly walking to John's house. She was relieved to find the lights were still on and after checking her cell phone for the time, frowned.

"John shouldn't be up right now..." she said with an air of mild concern. "He's usually in bed a half hour before this..."

Hermione rang the doorbell and a few minutes later, the smell of beer wafted through a crack in the door.

"Hey, Love, I need my brown bag for the trip..." Hermione said with a concerned smile.

"I think it's in the bathroom," John said dismissively as she kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Why are you up so late?" she asked as she headed for the stairway. "And you're drinking again?"

"I liked the taste," John said with a shrug and followed her to the stairs. "I lost track of time is all... Is there anything else you need to take on your trip?" he added slightly coolly as Hermione met him half-way up the stairs.

"No, I just forgot that I left my toiletry bag here," she said with a smile. "I'll need it before tomorrow..."

John looked up to her and Hermione's heart stopped cold. The look in his eyes brought back vivid memories of his attack and she suddenly became very nervous.

"Well, don't let me stop you from heading back home," John said icily.

"What's this?" Hermione asked nervously.

"What's _what_?" John retorted as he turned to walk back down the stairs.

"The attitude all of the sudden... you know Harry and I have been planning this trip for over a year..." Hermione said with an exasperated sigh. She looked pensive for a moment before swallowing the ball of nervousness that seemed to be caught in her throat. "John, you seem different when you drink..."

"What's wrong with knocking back a few every once in a while?" John asked hotly.

"You've never drunk before the other night..." Hermione said softly

"That was a _mistake_!" John growled menacingly.

"I know... we've put that behind us..." Hermione said tenderly, trying to calm him down. "I just don't think I like it when you drink..."

"It's not for you to like," John said evenly. "I'm in control and I don't need you telling me I'm not!"

"I didn't, Love," Hermione said cautiously.

"Oh, _Love_ is it?" John said venomously. "You keep telling me that, you keep calling me that, but can I believe you?" he spat accusingly.

"WHAT?!" Hermione asked angrily. "I wouldn't tell you that I loved you if I didn't mean it! You know that, John!"

"So, when you tell someone you love them, you really mean it?" he asked in a softer tone.

"Yes," Hermione said with relief and set her hand on his shoulder.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it but kept squeezing tighter and tighter. Hermione let out a surprised cry of pain and tried to pull her hand out of his grip.

"John, you're hurting me!" she said as she tugged at her hand.

"No more than you've hurt me," he said angrily and gave a great tug on her arm. Hermione's eyes went wide as she was summarily thrown the rest of the way down the stairs and she instinctively covered her head.

"JOHN, YOU PROMISED!" Hermione yelled in panic as his body flew down the stairs at her.

"Promises don't mean anything to a two-timing whore like you!" John retorted hotly as he spit upon her and in one motion pulled her from the floor and lifted her to the wall. Hermione was shocked at how strong he actually was and cried out in pain as her head connected with the plaster behind her.

"John, put me down!" Hermione gasped before his hands went around her neck and began constricting her windpipe. She scratched feebly at his hands even as she paled from the look of hatred in his eyes.

"You won't discard me for that _asshole_ Potter!" John growled angrily. "If I can't have you, _NOBODY WILL!_"

Hermione's options having just run out, she desperately reached for her wand to find that it wasn't in its holster. Instead, she found it lying on the floor just behind her enraged ex-lover. Having no recourse, she fell back on her instinctive need for survival. With a great burst of energy, she kicked John squarely between the legs and felt his grip loosen immediately. Her mind raced frantically when she realized that she couldn't speak and her breathing was rather labored. She grabbed her wand and did the first non-verbal spell she knew. Immediately, a stream of thick, slippery grease spread on the floor behind her as she raced towards the back door.

"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT OIL, YOU BITCH!" John bellowed behind her as he slipped on the floor and landed hard on his hands and knees. "THIS WILL TAKE FOREVER TO CLEAN UP!"

Hermione's attention, however, was on getting out of the house as quickly as she could. In a frantic scramble, she got to the back door and unlatched the three locks that held it secure. How she wished she could use Alohomora just then, but she'd gotten the door unlocked and opened.

All was for naught, however, when John ran her head through the back porch door, shattering the pane of glass in the upper section of the door. Hermione had gotten her arms over her face in time and though she felt a trickle of blood slipping down her forehead, she'd saved her eyes from being damaged by the shards of glass.

"I DON'T THINK SO!" John said venomously as he threw her into the kitchen table.

Hermione looked up in a stunned stupor as John reached for one of the long knives that he liked to use for chopping vegetables. Her good eye widened in terror when he turned on her, the murderous intent apparent in his wild eyes.

"JOHN!" she croaked pitifully even as she raised her wand. "I thought you loved me..."

"I do, and you don't love me!" he said in a curiously detached voice as he stalked closer to her. "Do you think that stick can save you?" he asked with a hideous laugh.

Tears were running freely down her cheeks at the realization of how far gone he was and that he really did intend to kill her. "I'm sorry..." she croaked again. "_stupefy_," she said as loudly as she could. The spell came out in barely a whisper, but the telltale red light flew from the tip of her wand and struck him between the eyes.

John looked at her incredulously for a moment before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped to the floor unconscious.

She didn't want to be around the man who had filled her heart with happiness then brutally ripped it open for the second time. Hermione kicked the knife away from his hand and ran around the house in a frantic race to collect her things. She wanted to be as far away from this man as she could before he regained consciousness.

With one last look around the sitting room, Hermione raced to the front door. Her heart tugged at her, forcing her to look back to the kitchen, to silently say goodbye to the man she knew she still loved. Her eye widened in fear when she found his prone form missing. Without further delay, she opened the door to rush out, only to find an angry man holding his discarded butcher's knife.

"Looking for me?" he asked in an almost cheerful tone. "Well, you've found me," he laughed as his empty fist connected with her stomach. Hermione's breath was forced through her constricted windpipe and though her knees went weak, she tried to backpedal from the murderous man. "It's not going to be so easy to get away from me, _Love_," he mocked as he stepped into the house and closed the door. "I can run faster than you," John taunted as he locked the door once again. "There's nobody in the other houses who will save you," he turned towards her and adjusted his grip on the knife as he kicked her in the ribs. "Not even your _boyfriend_ will be able to help you!"

Hermione found it hard to see, she felt dizzy and the hope drained from her heart as he knelt beside her.

"I don't know how you made that red light, but you won't be able to do _that_ again when your pretty little throat is sliced open!" John raised his knife and brought it down in a swift motion when Hermione realized that she didn't need to speak to apparate. Just as she felt the air from his strike graze her neck, she disappeared with a pop and appeared in her bedroom. Her hands immediately went to her neck and she broke down in sobs when she found that he hadn't cut her throat.

Though the healing spells were well out of her reach due to her constricted windpipe, Hermione wasn't top of her class at Hogwarts for nothing. As soon as she'd regained her composure, she quickly pulled out her advanced potions textbook and began searching for a healing draught. She found one almost immediately and set about preparing the thick concoction. It took her most of the night but she was successful. Hermione greedily gulped the result of her brewing and felt the tightness in her throat relax.

All Hermione had to do now was wait and she'd be good as new, physically. She looked in the mirror and watched the cut on her scalp stitch itself together and finally felt the aches and pains in her ribs subside.

Her eye and the other injuries she'd gotten more than a day prior didn't show any improvement and she sighed in desperation. Hermione picked up the book and reread the potion's effects. "Wounds within the past twenty-four hours," she croaked, still feeling tender in the throat. Hermione's parents had already left for their holiday, judging by the time on the clock when a sudden panic overcame her. _John knows where I live!_

As if fate were listening intently to her inner fears, a crash sounded from downstairs. Hermione's hands immediately started trembling, barely allowing her to keep a grasp on the long shaft of wood with the unicorn hair core. No matter how hard she tried to swallow the lump of fear in her throat, it continued to creep its way towards her mouth.

Suddenly realizing what she had to do, Hermione quickly closed the door to her bedroom even as heavy footsteps hurried up the stairs. She was able to mutter a locking charm on the door when someone's body slammed into it with a tremendous force.

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" John's ravenously angry voice sounded from the hallway.

Hermione jumped and the lump in her throat found its escape when a bloodied fist burst through the door. Her blood curdling scream echoed through the house and left her hoarse as she backed away from his maniacal face in the newly created hole.

"I don't know how you disappeared, _Love_, but I knew where you'd be..." John said with icy calm as he reached for the lock to the door. "How the hell do you have this locked!" he said angrily when he found no key. Instead of waiting for her answer, he kicked at the door and went at it again with his fists.

_What do I do? What do I do?_ Hermione kept screaming to herself in her mind. Her hand involuntarily squeezed the hilt of her wand, causing her to suddenly remember that she was a witch with formidable powers. She raised her wand to the wild man in her parents' hall and shouted with all her might, "_STUPEFY!_"

The telltale red light bellowed forth from the tip of her wand, decidedly stronger than her previous attempt. As the spell hit the door, the now weakened barrier exploded into a shower of toothpicks and continued directly into the chest of her raging ex-boyfriend.

John was summarily thrown against the far wall of the hall, leaving a large impression in the plaster. He slid down the wall, falling to his knees then sprawling flat on his face in an unconscious heap.

Hermione sunk to the floor, trembling uncontrollably as the adrenaline that had been building up in her bloodstream began to ebb away. Her mind was reeling with the events of the past few nights and she couldn't believe what had happened with her gentle and loving boyfriend.

A sudden calm overtook her petite frame and Hermione realized that he'd seen far too much magic for his own good. With a slow, staggering step, Hermione walked cautiously to the unconscious form of John. Resisting the urge to cower from him, she knelt and dug the tip of her wand into his temple.

"_OBLIVIATE!_" Hermione said in a controlled, even voice and watched his body twitch once before going still once again. Methodically, she fished for his keys from his front pocket, concentrated then turned them into a Portkey. Hermione put them into his bloody hand and watched as the charm activated. John was officially out of her house and life, though something stirred within her that she couldn't quite recognize.

Almost as if she were a robot from one of the science-fiction movies that Ron had come to love, Hermione traversed her house fixing everything that John had damaged in his rampage. She looked around her room with a surgical satisfaction as she finished packing her bags then apparated to Harry's front porch. She rang the bell and plastered a cheerful smile on her face in anticipation of Harry's arrival. Just as she adjusted her sunglasses, the front door opened.

"Hermione!" Sirius said with a wide smile. "I've missed you, Luv!" he said with a grin as he reached to pull her into a bear hug.

Hermione stepped back involuntarily and cleared her throat nervously. "H-hi, Sirius," she said with a tremor in her voice that didn't go unnoticed by her friend.

"Is everything alright, Hermione?" Sirius asked concernedly.

Hermione sighed and with a shaking step, gingerly hugged Sirius. "I-I'm sorry, sunburn on my back..." she lied and pulled back before he could respond to her. "It's good to see you again... I-is Harry up yet?"

"Sure," Sirius said cautiously. "Come on in, he's in the kitchen." Sirius stepped back and let Hermione in the house, watching her carefully for any indication of what might have caused her reaction. "Harry! You have a guest!" he called loudly and instantly regretted the action when Hermione winced.

She looked at him apologetically and opened her mouth to explain when Harry opened the door excitedly.

"Hermione!" Harry said with a wide grin and came at her with open arms. Her seemingly shy reaction to his exuberant welcome did not go unnoticed as he slowed down then saw the concerned look on Sirius' face. He immediately slowed and instead placed his hand on her arm. "Why don't we get some tea before we leave?" he asked tenderly as he shot a look at his godfather.

"I've got to get ready for work, I'll see you off before you leave," Sirius said with a small smile before heading to the stairs then disappearing up the steep incline.

"Now why don't we get that tea?" Harry asked again, the tenderness of his request pulling Hermione back to the here and now.

"Sure, Harry," Hermione said quietly as they walked to the kitchen.

"How's John holding up after his binge the other day?" Harry asked conversationally as he handed her a steaming cup of tea.

Said cup immediately shattered on the stone floor of the kitchen at the question and Hermione looked down guiltily. "Sorry," she said with a trembling voice, "I didn't have a strong hold on the cup." Before Harry could issue another word, Hermione's wand was out, the cup repaired, and the tea cleaned.

Harry looked at her with concern and guided her slowly to the kitchen table. "Tell me what's wrong..."

"N-nothing's wrong, Harry," Hermione lied quickly as she nervously ran her fingers through her hair, trying to placate a loose strand by slipping it behind her ear.

"Bullocks," Harry said flatly. "Why are you wearing those sunglasses?"

"Oh, am I still wearing them?" Hermione lied again, she reached up to adjust them but Harry caught her hand. She flinched and turned her head as if he were going to hit her, but when no retaliation came, Hermione chanced a glance towards her best friend.

"Love, what's wrong," Harry asked quietly, reaching to her face and slowly slipping the glasses from her face. His eyes widened and Hermione could see the rage boil behind his eyes. "What happened?" he asked through gritted teeth as he fought to control himself.

"I-I was mugged," Hermione offered weakly, regretting the lie as soon as it left her mouth.

"You were _mugged_..." Harry said in disbelief. "Why are you lying to me, Hermione?"

"Please, let's just forget about it, Harry," Hermione said softly. "It won't happen again, I made sure of it..."

"_What_ won't happen again?" Harry asked tenderly as he cupped her cheek.

Hermione recoiled from the contact, startling him. "I'm not going to hurt you, Hermione," Harry said softly, relegating his hands to his lap. Harry looked at her posture and the demeanor she was exhibiting. "Who beat you up?" he asked softly.

"He won't remember a thing," Hermione said in a hoarse whisper. She looked into his moist eyes and cringed at the amount of love she found waiting for her in his emerald pools.

"But you still do," Harry said softly as he took her trembling hand in his. He could feel her nervousness at his touch and he frowned slightly. "Hermione..."

"What did Helen say about J-John?" Hermione choked out.

"What? You don't want to hear what that woman said..." Harry grumbled.

"What did she say, Harry?" Hermione asked more forcefully.

Her sudden mood swing caught Harry slightly unawares and he cleared his throat. "She said to stay away from her, started calling him hurtful names..." Harry said quietly, watching her reaction. "When he didn't respond, she began yelling, asking him why he wasn't hitting her for speaking out of turn. When he turned away, she yelled at him some more, trying to get him to leave the pub so she and her date could eat without worrying about him," Harry paused at the tears that were welling in Hermione's eyes. "That's when he started downing pints..."

Hermione nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as unbidden tears began to streak down her cheek.

"Is that what's wrong?" Harry asked gently, sliding closer to her tentatively. When she didn't flinch, he slid his arm around her shoulders and Hermione fell into him with a tremendous sob.

"How could I have been so _stupid_?!" she wailed as he wrapped his arms around her protectively.

"Shh, you didn't know, Hermione," Harry whispered into her hair as his tears mingled with the bush of brown that had forever adorned her head. He held her to him as she cried; waiting patiently until her sobs slipped to whimpers, then subsided to small hiccups and sniffles. "Can you tell me what happened now?" he asked tenderly as he wiped the tears from her red cheeks.

Hermione nodded weakly and told him what had really happened the night she'd found John on the porch steps. She explained their conversation and how he'd reacted to it the next day, followed by the way he turned on her the previous night.

"He chased you down to your house?" Harry asked in a low growl, softening immediately at the frightened look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Love," he whispered tenderly as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Memory charm or not, he's not going to get away with what he's done..."

"No, don't do anything, Harry!" Hermione suddenly blurted with a pleading look on her face.

"He isn't going to get away with this," Harry said tenderly as he looked into her eyes. "Nobody, and I mean _nobody_, hurts you the way he has..."

"Don't stoop to his level! I'm not worth it, Harry!" Hermione said forcefully, gripping his collar tightly in an attempt to make him understand something she couldn't identify. Harry took her hands gently in his and slowly pulled them from his shirt. He looked her square in the eyes, the look of shock causing her to look away from him in shame.

"Look at me," Harry said softly, almost reverently. Hermione refused to look him in the face, the shame she felt overriding her need to be held by him. Harry cupped her chin and turned her face to his with the tenderness of a down feather. "You're worth the world to me, Hermione," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm not going to let this bastard get away with what he did to you."

"You'll kill him," Hermione whimpered as tears spilled from her eyes again. "D-don't... I don't want you soiled by that..."

"I won't kill him, Love," Harry said gently. He retrieved his wand and after a few waves over Hermione's body returned it to his holster.

Hermione, no longer bruised, grasped at Harry desperately when he attempted to rise from his chair. "No," she whispered desperately, "don't leave me, Harry... Don't go..." Hermione looked pleadingly into his face and felt her heart crash to the floor when the heartache that was so apparent on his face caused something to stir in her heart.

Harry eased back into the chair next to his grieving best friend and wrapped his arms around her once again. "I won't go," he choked as her arms tightened around him in return. _But he's not going to get away with what he's done, memory charm or not..._ he vowed to himself as Hermione broke down in his embrace once more.

Sirius watched the scene from the kitchen door, his blood boiling beyond measure. The couple that was tangled in each other's arms did not see the cold face of Harry's godfather as he turned from the door and left for the Ministry.

Hermione stretched cat-like on her beach blanket just as a smiling Harry returned with a chilled drink from the sea-side bar. "Mmm, just what I needed," she purred as the cold, sweaty class was set into her outstretched hand. "Thank you, Harry."

"You're welcome, Love," Harry said with a smile as he sat next to her. "We're off to Australia day after tomorrow," he reminded her with a content sigh.

"I can't wait..." Hermione said with a distant smile. She looked up and down the shore of the private beach that Harry had literally rented for their three day stay along the Mediterranean coast. "Though I could stay here forever," she cooed as Harry rolled to his side so he could see her better. Hermione grinned and looked to her best friend. "What is it?"

"It's good to see you smiling again," Harry said with a soft, gentle smile. "How are your dreams holding out?"

Hermione frowned slightly but recovered when she realized that he cared for her and was genuinely concerned. "He's still there," Hermione admitted truthfully, "but not as often... I think the distance is really helping."

Hermione didn't want to admit that it was Harry's presence alone that had been helping her cope with her recent experiences. She glanced at him from behind her dark sunglasses and he missed the twinkle in her eyes as she looked over his tanned chest.

Harry smiled wanly at his female best friend, remembering the scene from last night when she started running and screaming in her sleep. He'd gotten to her shortly after Hermione had let out a terrified shriek, only to find that she was having a nightmare. He held her in his arms after he'd woken her and she cried herself back to sleep. Even as her breathing slowed and Harry knew she was sound asleep once again, he'd stayed with her for several hours afterwards cradling and rocking her with soft whispers of comfort.

Hermione saw the concern pooled in his emerald eyes and lightly caressed his cheek. "I'll be ok, Harry," she said softly, "I just need some time..."

"I'll be here every step of the way, Love," Harry said with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

It had been a week since she'd told him what had happened and each day he woke up with her cradled like a frightened child in his arms, having fallen asleep while he comforted her in her bed. She seemed to only have the nightmares when he wasn't in the room and he planned on testing a theory of his that night.

The rest of the day, they both tried to forget their problems and enjoy themselves. Running down to the water for a swim, splashing each other, or simply lying in the sun seemed to ease their pain and allow them a small peace of mind for the time being.

They'd just returned to their room from dinner and tired from the day's romping about on the beach, they both turned towards their opposite rooms to change for bed. Harry returned to their common room to find Hermione's light already out and he crossed to the silent door.

"Are you changed?" Harry asked quietly after a soft knock on the door.

"Yeah," Hermione's muffled voice floated through the door. "You can come in if you want..."

Harry opened the door and stepped inside, closing it again after locating her bed. "How're you feeling?" he asked tenderly as he sat next to the woman that meant the most to him in the world.

"I'm ok," Hermione whispered quietly, not turning from the wall to look at her friend.

"Bullocks," Harry said with a soft chuckle, sliding under the covers next to her. It was then that he felt her shudder from silent tears and without a word, wrapped an arm around her. "Shh," he whispered quietly, kissing her on the shoulder. "I'm here, nothing's going to happen..."

Hermione turned in a flash and buried her head in his chest. "Why did he have to do that?" she sobbed quietly. "I loved him, Harry..."

"I know," Harry replied gently, hugging her tighter. "He doesn't deserve someone as beautiful and intelligent as you, Hermione."

"How can I be intelligent if I didn't see what was coming?" she asked pitifully. "Not once, but twice! I should have left him after the first time!"

"Shh," Harry cooed again, blinking away the tears that were welling in his eyes, "You've got a big heart... If you hadn't given me or Ron a second chance, where would we be?"

Something Harry had told her clicked and she pulled away to look into his eyes. "Did you say I'm beautiful?" she asked with a look akin to a deer caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic on her face.

"Yes," Harry said gently, wiping the tears from her red cheeks, "you're the most beautiful woman I know..."

"H-how can you think I'm beautiful?" she asked incredulously. "Look at my hair, my plain eyes—"

"There's nothing plain about you, Hermione," Harry said as his voice hitched in his throat. "You're intelligent, funny, exciting, sexy, beautiful... any bloke would be the luckiest man on the planet just to hold your hand..."

"Why are you telling me this?" Hermione asked in a whisper, her heart beating faster than the cadence of a race horse's hooves as it struck the down.

"It's not the right time..." Harry said quietly. "You need more time to get over him..."

"Bullocks," Hermione said with a slight grin on her face. "Tell me, Harry..."

Harry looked into her eyes and with a nearly imperceptible nod, cleared his throat. "D-do you remember when we were in the Department of Mysteries?" he asked tentatively. "When Dol... when you were hit with that curse?"

Hermione winced when he started to name the Death Eater that had nearly taken her life again during the final battle. Dolohov had taken a sick obsession with finishing the job he'd attempted so many years ago and tracked Hermione down with a one-track mind. If Harry hadn't been there to stop the Death Eater, Hermione wouldn't be in Harry's arms at this moment. With a deep breath to calm herself and wipe away that fateful fight, she closed her eyes and nodded.

"I thought you died that day," Harry said in a strangled voice, trying not to lose his composure. "When I found that you were alive and later when you fully recovered, something lodged in my head... What would I do if I lost you or Ron?

"Through sixth year, that same thought kept plaguing me so I worked as hard as I could to make sure what happened that previous year would never happen again," he admitted with a stroke of her hair. "I was determined that I would become better than Voldemort and wipe the danger to you off the planet... That's one of the reasons I started Auror training."

"But you never finished—" Hermione whispered, but Harry's fingers placed on her lips stilled her voice.

"By then all of Voldemort's followers were in Azkaban or dead," he continued softly. "There were other dark wizards out there, yes, but my fight ended with Voldemort and his inner circle. I didn't want to be an Auror anymore, I could live my life as I saw fit, that's why I invited Ron to move into Grimmauld Place and expanded the library for you, but you'd found _him_ by then...

"I was upset, of course, but he seemed to be a nice guy and you were happy," Harry said with a snort. "If Ron and I had taken that Helen girl at her word, we would have been there before you'd been hurt..."

"You didn't know, Harry," Hermione whispered. It was her turn to wipe the lone tear that had finally broken free from his eye.

"Nobody did," Harry said quietly. "He's hurt you so badly... how can you trust another man after what he did to you?"

"I trust you, Harry," Hermione said confidently.

Harry smiled wanly for a moment, a glimmer of something flashed in his eyes that she couldn't quite place from her accumulated knowledge of Harry's expressions. "I'm glad you do," he whispered in a voice that she'd only heard come from him once, when he'd first found out what happened to her and he'd admitted she was the world to him. "But you still need time to heal—"

"Harry, tell me..." she pleaded softly to him, the urgency in her eyes erasing the barricades that held his tongue in check.

"I don't want to lose you..."

"You won't," she reassured him gently, silently prodding him along with her eyes.

Harry closed his eyes, apparently trying to summon the courage to tell her his secret. He took a deep breath and drew her tightly to him, afraid that she might bolt when he revealed what he was hiding. "I love you," he whispered hoarsely into her hair.

Hermione lay motionless for a few seconds as his admission worked itself in her mind. She'd suspected, but to actually hear him confess his hidden feelings was still somewhat of a shock. "Are you sure?" she asked tentatively, afraid that he was speaking of their friendship and not that little something more she desperately needed from him.

"I haven't been so sure of anything in my life," Harry said immediately, pulling back to gauge her reaction properly. "I have for a while now..."

"Why haven't you said anything before now?" she asked quietly, her eyes locked on his.

"I was afraid," he said simply, the uneasiness becoming apparent in his behavior.

Hermione mentally slapped herself for asking more questions instead of accepting his declaration... With a shaky hand, she cupped his cheek and smiled softly. "No more questions from me," she said with a slight tremor in her voice then leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

Harry immediately returned the kiss, pouring every ounce of feeling into it and Hermione felt the glorious warmth spread from their joined lips to the rest of her body. A weak voice piped up telling her it was wrong to kiss her best friend, but an unseen force elbowed it out of the way and gave her the strength to deepen their kiss.

Before either of them knew what was happening, they were panting as their sweat-laden, nude bodies curled into each other. Harry held Hermione to him protectively and within a matter of moments, the two emotionally fatigued and sexually appeased lovers began to drift off.

"I love you too," Hermione whispered before she fell unconscious.

Hermione woke the next morning feeling the most rested she'd been since before John had attacked her. The previous night swam lazily through her cloudy mind and a wide smile spread across her face when she realized that her pillow was the slowly rising and falling chest of Harry Potter. She lifted her head slowly, so she wouldn't wake him and her smile grew even larger when she saw his sleeping face, one of her favorite faces that he could make.

Harry looked so peaceful and at ease when she'd found him sleeping next to her which was a far cry from the stories she'd heard from Ron and Sirius over the past several years. For as long as she'd known him, Harry was reported to wake with a scream from one dream or another, leaving him tired and restless throughout the day. Only in the past week, when she'd found he was there to comfort her, had she seen him so restful and at peace with the world.

"How long are you going to stare at me, Love?" Harry asked in his deep, morning voice that sent chills down her spine.

Hermione woke from her reverie and focused on Harry's lopsided-grinning face. "How long are you going to let me?" she teased with a grin of her own.

Harry laughed and leaned in for a quick kiss that ended up lasting far longer than either had anticipated. "Hmm," he said as they finally broke apart, "as long as you like I suppose."

Hermione laughed as he pulled her to him again, mumbling something about waking up like this more often as she pulled away. "So, are we a couple then?" she asked quietly, searching his eyes for any sign that he agreed with her assessment.

"Only if you're ready for that," Harry said gently, stroking her cheek as if she were the most delicate china.

A tear welled in her eye and spilled out unexpectedly as she nodded. "I'd love that," she whispered quietly, "I love you..."

"I love you too," Harry said with a smile and a lingering kiss that was so soft it drove her mad. "I guess we're a couple then," he affirmed afterwards.

Their day in the sun and surf abandoned, Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the day in bed, exploring their newfound feelings for each other. Or it should be said that they were long hidden feelings finally seeing the light of day.

They kept to their timetable and their next scheduled Portkey deposited them in Australia, where they were to spend the remainder of their holiday in Sydney's wizarding district. They broke out of their room for a few hours to do some sight seeing, but it was readily apparent that the only sights they wanted to see could be had in their hotel room. So, without argument from either, found themselves exploring yet again, only in the land down under.

The last Portkey brought them to the back garden of Grimmauld place where the two of them spent a few more minutes saying their goodbyes for the time being.

"I don't want to go home..." Hermione said quietly, resting her head against Harry's chest. "I don't want to leave you..."

"Why not move in with me?" Harry asked suddenly, causing Hermione to look up from his chest quickly. "There's plenty of room, I've already enlarged the library to hold twice the amount of books you own, and I could easily enlarge the master bedroom..."

A wide smile spread across her face and she nodded. "I'd like that..." she whispered before they kissed again.

"Would you like me to help you with your stuff? So you're not in the house alone?" Harry offered.

"Would you?"

"Anything for you, you know that..." Harry said gently and with her nod, the two of them made short work of shrinking the many boxes she had and bringing them to the wizarding home. She'd left a note for her parents explaining that she'd moved in with Harry and she would talk to them when they'd gotten home.

"Harry! You back yet?" Sirius shouted from the main hall when he'd gotten home from work. He heard a thump upstairs and a few seconds later, Harry appeared from the stairwell. "It looks like you've finally gotten some rest!" Sirius said with a fatherly hug.

"I sure did," Harry said with a smile. "Listen, there's been a slight change of plans..."

"What's that?" Sirius said as he arched an eyebrow when Hermione appeared from the stairwell.

"Hi, Sirius," Hermione said tentatively as she walked up to him. "C-can you forgive me?"

"What for?" he asked with a grin and when he opened his arms for a hug, Sirius was relieved to have her fill them. "I see you're feeling better too?"

Hermione nodded and took a step back only to have Harry's arm wrap around her shoulders.

"Hermione's coming to live with us," Harry said with a smile. "We sort of... got together over the holiday."

"Is that alright?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Why would my opinion keep the two of you apart?" Sirius asked with a laugh and clapped Harry on the shoulder. "Nothing would have made me happier!" The old Marauder took Harry aside as Hermione stepped into the kitchen for some tea. "Listen: come to my office tomorrow morning eight a.m. sharp. I have a surprise for you..."

Harry looked at his godfather with a perplexed smile but before he could say anything else, Hermione had returned with a tray full of tea accouterments. "Ready for tea?" she asked with a bright smile as the two men followed her into the sitting room.

Harry hurried down the hallway the next morning and stopped at a familiar black door. He was reminded, somewhat, of the door that led to the Department of Mysteries but the shiny, gold nameplate on its façade told him he was standing in front of the office of one Sirius Black. With a soft rap on the wooden barrier and the subsequent muffled invitation, Harry found himself sitting on the opposite side of his godfather's desk.

"What did you want to see me about?" Harry asked curiously as he watched Sirius pace back and forth behind his desk.

"There are laws in the wizarding world that co-exist with those of the Muggles'," Sirius explained quickly. "The Ministry chose to adopt said laws because they made quite a bit of sense, in addition to the lessened financial burden of maintaining the literature.

"Of those laws, there were a few that were amended to allow proper justice in cases of assault, rape, and abuse..."

Harry's eyes widened as the reason for his visit became apparent. "Are you telling me..."

"Even with the memory charm, John can be punished for his transgressions against Hermione," Sirius explained evenly. "I've already drawn up the order to have him apprehended and tried by Veritaserum."

"We need Hermione's input on this," Harry said quickly as he stood and began to pace himself. "If she were to find out, and the Daily Prophet _will_ catch wind of this... She'd kill me!"

"Relax," Sirius said quietly just as a knock came at his door. "Come in!"

"Is the paperwork ready yet, Sirius?" Hermione's voice wafted in as she stepped into the room. She froze immediately upon seeing Harry. "What are you doing here?"

"Sirius asked me to see him this morning," Harry said tentatively. "Did... did you decide to press charges?"

Hermione glared at Sirius before crossing to Harry and placing a hand on his arm. "I had to," she said confidently. "If I didn't, then someone else would go through what I did."

"Don't be angry with me," Sirius said apologetically. "Under the law, Harry, has the right to confront him, as does Ron."

"What?!" Hermione asked taken aback. "I didn't read that!"

"This was drafted after you had left," Sirius said quickly. "The law was amended just the other day..."

Hermione glared at Harry who looked at her with shock still apparent on his face.

"I didn't know anything about it," Harry said truthfully. "I haven't talked to Sirius or anyone about what happened and I didn't do anything to get this added!"

"He didn't Hermione, I did," Sirius said immediately, showing no regret in his voice or posture.

"Why?" Hermione asked evenly. "Do you know what these two would do to him? I don't want to see either of them sink to his level!"

"They won't," Sirius explained. "They have as much right as you do to face him. All three of you were duped by this bloke. I did some research on the git and I found that he could have just as easily turned on Ron or Harry."

"What?" It was Harry's turn to look up in surprise.

"His name isn't John Dinkins," Sirius announced to a stunned duo. "Tell me, Harry, what happened to the last Death Eater you faced?"

"He tried to apparate from a warded zone," Harry said as he thought back on the last bits of the war before he'd faced the Dark Lord himself. "I didn't think he'd be able to run, but the anti-apparation wards had fallen and he disappeared..."

"That last Death Eater, do you remember who he was?" Sirius asked pointedly.

"Wait! You've got to be shitting me, _right_?!" Harry asked incredulously.

"No, John Dinkins was the transfigured form of Draco Malfoy," Sirius growled as Hermione's face went white and Harry's went red. "He'd taken the form of Dinkins before he tried to apparate. While the ones disallowing apparation had already fallen, there were ones that performed a complete memory charm on anyone who bore the Dark Mark; even if that symbol was hidden through transfiguration."

"I-I had sex... w-with MALFOY?!" Hermione shrieked.

"I'm afraid so," Sirius said dejectedly. "He didn't know how to change himself back, his wand was lost, and with a new life and memories as a Muggle, he truly became John Dinkins... I'm sorry, Hermione."

"I'm going to kill the bastard!" Harry growled angrily, but stopped and calmed himself to comfort Hermione. "He won't be able to touch you again," Harry whispered quietly to his trembling girlfriend. He didn't know how much this news would affect their relationship, but he was sure as hell going to keep it from falling apart by his inability to control his emotions.

"I'll kill him myself," she growled dangerously, causing Harry to start.

"There will be no killing," Sirius warned the two of them. "I couldn't contact Ron for the trial since his family is out on safari in a dragon preserve, so it will only be the two of you."

"Does Malfoy remember anything?" Hermione asked stiffly.

"We were able to unlock the memory charms placed on him by the ward and by you," Sirius said with a nod. "It wasn't easy finding the combination that would allow us to remove your handiwork, but the time you were gone was enough."

"When is the trial?" Harry asked evenly, an arm around Hermione's shoulders in a protective stance.

"Tomorrow," Sirius said with a sigh. "There was a lot of red tape I had to cut through, but once they found he was a Death Eater, the trial took precedence," Sirius turned to Hermione and smiled softly. "There is an Auror squad at _John's_ house, waiting to let you collect what possessions you'd left there. You can go over at any time before the trial begins, but the two of you need to be present."

Harry and Hermione nodded and waved goodbye before leaving the office.

"Does... does this change anything between us?" Harry asked quietly as they walked towards the Ministry's apparation point.

"What? Why should it?" Hermione asked, startled.

"I just thought... Malfoy..." Harry stammered.

Hermione shook her head and pulled him into a tight hug. "Harry, you don't have to worry about me leaving you, ever..."

Harry sighed in relief and hugged his girlfriend in return, burying his face in her hair. "You don't have to worry about that either," he said quietly. "Do you want me to come with you to that bastard's house?"

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to do this myself," Hermione said with a small sigh. "I need this closure, Harry..."

"Alright, Love," he said with a tender kiss. "I'll see you tonight then?"

"Sooner than that!" Hermione replied with a soft chuckle. "I need closure, not a lengthy visit!"

Harry laughed then saw the love of his life to the apparation point and waved before she disappeared with a pop. He sighed before turning back to Sirius' office when someone shoved him to the side with tremendous force. He sprawled to the floor in the hallway as a loping figure ran past him at full speed.

"STOP HIM!" the voice of a wounded Auror echoed from the opposite direction.

Harry looked up to see a main of shaggy, blonde hair disappear around the corner. He growled when he recognized the man who was running with every ounce of strength he had in him and Harry took off as quickly as he could.

"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY _MALFOY_!" Harry bellowed as he quickly tailed after his fleeing childhood arch-nemesis.

A burst of speed was Malfoy's answer as he reached the Floo network and threw in a handful of powder. He disappeared in a flash of green flame just before Harry reached his sneering countenance.

"Where did he go?" Harry growled as he tried to track down a Floo tracker. He growled again when he found out it would take a good fifteen minutes to track down the escaped convict and he started pacing. His head snapped up in realization before running flat-out to the apparation point.

Hermione looked around the house with a fine-toothed comb. She didn't want anybody finding anything that could be used against her, now that she knew who she was dealing with. She shuddered involuntarily when memories of her and _John_ came to mind, his smiles, his kisses, what they did in the sitting room that weekend.

"I should have known!" she growled to herself as she retrieved one of her CDs from the rack by the fireplace.

"Ah, the Mudblood returning for more..." Draco spat as he lunged for the suddenly shocked woman.

Hermione fell with a scream into the CD rack and her eyes widened in fear when she saw that Malfoy had liberated her wand from it's holster.

With a few deft waves, his manacles fell to the floor and he stretched luxuriously at his freedom. "Now, what to do with you?" he growled menacingly. "Did you know that great quantities of alcohol weaken memory charms?" he asked as he leveled his wand on Hermione. "What the surprise I found when it was you that I'd been dating in my _new life_ as a _Muggle_." He shuddered at the thought, but licked his lips as he looked her over.

Hermione felt her anger grow within her but without her wand, she was frozen to the spot, unable to do anything to the disgusting piece of refuse that was taunting her.

"I so cherished our weekend," Malfoy said with an inhuman purr. "To have deflowered Potter's whore... a vengeance that I could have only dreamt of!"

"Sod off, Malfoy," Hermione growled angrily.

"Oh, you still think you have any _control_ over me?" He asked with a sickeningly sinister sneer. "Let's take this elsewhere, shall we? _STUPEFY!_"

Hermione's eyes went wide as the red light sped at her and the last thing she remembered was Malfoy's high-pitched laughter.

Harry bounded up the steps to a scream and a shouted stunning spell. The flash of red light from in the house told him everything he needed to know and with a properly placed spell, the house no longer had a front door.

"Step away from her, _Malfoy!_" Harry spat angrily when he saw the Slytherin start towards the unconscious form of Hermione.

"You always seem to know when to crash the party, don't you, _Potter?!_" Draco spat in disgust as he turned towards Harry.

"You've done enough to her, to my friends and family... to me," Harry said angrily. There was an unholy light that began shining from his eyes that made Draco step back with fear. "Now, it's my turn to show you how it feels..." he growled as a rumbling began to shake the house.

Draco Malfoy began to panic and began to cast every curse he knew at the terrible visage of Harry Potter that was even now bearing down upon him. Each spell was deflected and crashed into the walls around the advancing young man.

With one final hope, Draco raised his wand, a green light flaring to life on its tip. In one fell swoop, he pointed the wand not at Harry, but at the sleeping form of Hermione Granger. "_AVADA KEDAVRA!_" he shouted in a high pitched laugh that curdled Harry's blood.

With a giant leap, Harry dove headlong into the path of the speeding curse. His eyes went wide as he collided into the wall feeling as if his very soul was on fire.

"_ENNERVATE!_"

Hermione's eyes fluttered open to a scene of devastation. The sitting room she had been in was a shambles. There were holes in the walls and several Aurors were standing around scribbling their reports.

"What happened?" she asked uneasily as she shakily got to her feet. Everything flooded in her mind and she glanced around the room in fear.

"Relax, Malfoy is dead," the Auror said quietly as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

"What? H-how?" Hermione asked confusedly. "He stunned me..." Her eyes fell to the floor only to find a tuft of black hair sticking out of the top of a blanket. "What..."

"When the curse hit him, he was literally fried..." the Auror said in confusion. "I've never seen the killing curse do that to someone."

Hermione's eyes closed tightly and she sank to the floor over the covered body. Tears streaked from her eyes as her head began to shake from side to side. "No..." she whispered desperately. "Not him..."

Wanting to see his face one more time, Hermione pulled back the blanket to reveal the piercing blue-grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"Draco?" she asked in surprise.

"I've never seen the killing curse fry someone like that..." the Auror whispered as he pulled her back to her feet.

"Who... who did this?" Hermione asked desperately.

"He did it to himself," a familiar, yet weary voice said from the kitchen.

Hermione lost no time in crossing the room to gather Harry in her arms. "You bloody fool! What happened?!" she wailed in a cross between a laugh and a sob.

Harry wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman that he loved so well and chanced a smile. "The same thing that happened to Voldemort..." Harry explained with a slight grin. "When I was one that is... It seems that the killing curse was reflected from me again and since he didn't have the same anti-death protections on him that Riddle did, he fried..."

"For a minute there..." Hermione sobbed into his chest. "I thought I'd lost you," she whispered hoarsely.

"I told you," Harry said as he tilted her face to his, "I'm not going to leave you." He punctuated his promise with a tender kiss only to be interrupted a few minutes later to fill out reports on the situation that had unfurled at the residence of one John Dinkins.

Several days later at Grimmauld Place, Hermione opened a letter that contained her final physics marks for that summer term at university. With shaking hands, she unfolded the official stationary and felt her jaw drop.

"What is it, Love?" Harry asked as he caught her reaction to the letter.

"I got perfect marks," Hermione whispered incredulously. "I GOT PERFECT MARKS!" she shouted exuberantly as she threw herself into the open arms of her laughing boyfriend.

**A/N:** There we have it, hope you liked the story! I took a few liberties, such as being post Hogwarts, and I hope it lives up to the expectations of the challenge's author ;)


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